Machine for filling containers with fluid



Jan. 17, 1933. L. T. KONOPAK MACHINE FOR FILLING CONTAINERS WITH FLUIDFiled June 17, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet gwvenfot Jan. 17, 1933. L. T. KONOPAK [1,894,403

MACHINE FOR FILLING CONTAINERS WITH FLUID Filed June 17, 1930 2Sheets-Sheet 2 s E5 3429 1 @WMUQ WM Patented Jan. 17, 1933 PAXTENTOFFICE 1.0mm 'r. KONOPAJK, or TOLEDO, omo' mcnmn FOB, FILLING cozt'mrmswrrn FLUID Application filed June 17,

This invention relates to the filling of containers with liquid, withspecial reference to the sterilization of both the container and its capand the filling of the former under a vacuum. 1

One object of the invention is to provide a method forfillingcontainers, in which the mouth of the container and acap thereforare sealed off and sterilized, the container being then filled withsterilized fluid and capped while they are thus sealed and protectedagainst any unsterilized influence.

Another important ob'ect of the invention is to provide a machine or thepurpose stated, which is of practical construction, reli-.

able in its operation, and in which the successive steps take placeautomatically in proper sequence.

7 The invention, in its preferred embodi ment, will be particularlydescribed in connection with the accompanying drawings, in

which Figure 1 is a plan view with parts broken away illustrating thecourse of the containers as they are being filled.

Figure 2 is a vertical central section through ,one side of the machine.I

Figure 3 is a detail sectional view enlarged illustrating the positionof the container underneath the hood during the process of sterilizingand filling the same. Figure 1 is a view similar to Figure 3illustrating the adaptation of the invention to the filling of cans. aFigure 5 is an enlarged sectional view of the capper-element. g

As illustrated in the drawings, the mechanism to which the inventionrelates is for the most part" supported upon'a stand 7 which is formedwith a peripheral upstanding rim 8 and a central bearing member 9. Theupper face of the stand is formed with'concentric tracks 10, 11 and 12.A circular table 13 is rotatably supported onthe track 11 by 4 suitablerollers 14: and has a central hub 15 1330. Serial No. 461,820.

mounted in the bearing member 9. The table is rotated by means of a gear16, secured to the hub 15 and driven by any suitable mechanism.

Located above the table '13 and rigidly connected therewith are a numberof radial arms 17 each of which has a hood 18 secured to its end andadapted to receive the upper end of a container 19 to be filled, suchcontainer being represented in Figures 2 and 3 5 as a bottle, which ispreferably preheated. The lower edge of the hood 18 carries a gasket 20,within which the neck of the bottle is received. The bottle rests upon aseat 21 which is provided with astem 22 reciprocably mounted in thetable 13 and the top of the bottle is held againstthe gasket 20 by thepressure of a spring 23 underneath the seat 21. For lowering the seat21to receive or to discharge the bottle, the lower end of the stem 22 hasa pin and slot connection 24: with one end of a bell crank 25 which ispivoted at 26 to lugs 27 extending downwardly from the bottom of thetable 13. The other end of the bell crank 25 is provided with a roller 728 adapted to ride upon the track 12 which is provided with a raisedportion 29 in the sector where the bottle is delivered to the seat 21underneath the hood 18.

Prior to the introduction of a bottle underneath the hood 18 the bottlecap is picked up by a capper 30 which is mounted within the hood and hasa stem 31 extending up- .wardly from the hood through a packing 'arm Thelever 34! is normally held with the capper 30 retracted by means of aspring 36 or the like. For depressing the capper 30 to pick up a cap orseal and to ap ly the same to the bottle a vertical rod 37 is reciprocably mounted on the arm 17 and is provided at its upper end with ayieldable head 38 adapted to engage the inner end of lever 34. The lowerend of the rod 37 carries a roller 39 which rides on the track 10. Thecaps may be placed in the capper 30 by hand or they may be fed by asuitable feeder indicated at 40 into position to be picked up by thecapper 30 which is moved downwardly at the proper time to receive thecap by means of a raised portion 41 of the track 10. After the bottlehas been sterilized and filled the capper' 30 is again moved downwardlyto cap the bottle by a raised portion 42 of the track 10, which,however, is not as high as the raised portion 41.

As the table 13 rotates, therefore, the

capper 30 first receives a cap as it passes the cap feeder 40.Subsequently the seat 21 is lowered to receive a bottle from theconveyor 43 as it passes the same. Then as the table continues to rotatesteam under pressure is introduced into the bottle for sterilizing thebottle and cap while the air originally contained in the bottle isallowed to escape therefrom. After the bottle and cap are sterilized,the steam is allowed to escape therefrom and is condensed, while avacuum is formed in the bottle and hood. The bottle is then filled andcapped and air is admitted to the hood to relieve the vacuum. At thispoint in the operation the roller 28 engages a raised portion 44 of thetrack 12 whereby the seat 21 is lowered and the bottle is delivered toan outgoing conveyor 45.

During the operation as briefly outlined above, the steam under pressureis introduced through a stationary pipe 46 located axially of the table13 and connected to a pipe 48 mounted within the hub 15 by a suitablepacking gland 47. The pipe 48 is connected to a circular manifold 49which extends about the hub 15 and has branch pipes 50 leading towardthe respective hoods 18. Each pipe.

50 leads through a valve 51, the opening of which is controlled by anarm 52, and is connected to an inlet 53 into the hood 18.

After a sufiicient time has been allowed for the proper sterilization ofthe bottle and the cap, the valve 51 is closed and the steam is allowedto escape therefrom through a port 54, valve 55, which is opened by anarm 56, and a pipe 57, which leads to a condenser chamber 58, which .isherein shown as an upward extension of the hub 15. Cold water or otherfluid for cooling the condenser is introduced through a pipe '59 and astationary cap 60, which is connected to the upper end of the condenserby a packing gland 61". This cooling fluid passes downwardly through aport 62 into the condenser memos and thence is discharged through a pipe63 onto the stand 7 from which it drains through a pipe 64.

The fluid with which the contatiners are filled is supplied through astationary pipe 65.

which is opened by an arm and passes through a downwardly inclinedpassage 71 into the hood 18.

After the bottle has been filled and capped the air valve 72 is openedby means of an arm 73 to permit air to enter the hood at 74 and relievethe vacuum so that the bottle will be freeto be delivered to theconveyor 45.

It will be understood that valves 51, 55, 69 and 72 are all maintainedin closed position, preferably by springs, except when the respectivearms 52, 56, 70 and 73 are actuated to open them. Since no novelty isclaimed for the valves per se, a detailed representation thereof isdeemed unnecessary.

As a convenient means for actuating the arms 52, 56, 70 and 7 3 at theproper time for opening the respective valves, cams 75, 76, 77,

78 and 79 are supported from the rim 8 in proper position to effect theoperation desired. For example, after the bottle is in proper positionbeneath the hood, the arms 52 and 73 are engaged substantiallysimultaneously by the cams 76 and respectively to open the valves 51 and72. This admits steam to the bottle and allows cold air to escapetherefrom..

As the arm 73 leaves the cam 75 the air valve 72 closes but the valve 51remains open as long as the arm 52 engages the cam 76, thus subjectingthe interior for a considerable time to the action of steam underpressure. Subsequently the arm 56 engages the cam 77 to open the valve55 leading to the condenser 58 or to a vacuum pump or other means forexhausting the steam from the bottle and hood and creating a vacuumtherein. After this, it is advisable to spray the bottle with cold waterwhich may be supplied by a pipe 80. Then as the table continues itsrotation,

the arm 70 engages the cam 78 and opens the valve 69 to admit the fluidwith which the bottle is to be filled. After this, the bottle is cappedand then the valve 72 is again opened for a short time by the engagementof the arm 73with the cam 79. This relieves any vacuum remaining in thehood before the bottle is to be discharged upon the conveyor 45. 1

In the modification shown in Figure. 4, the hood 18 and gasket 2O arearranged to receive the upper end of a tin can 81 which is formed with afilter openinghaving a sloping edge 82 adapted to receive thecorresponding shoulder of the cap 83. The operation of the filling andclosing of such a can will be tuating said capping element to exactly asthat described in connection with the bottle19. The engagement of thecap 83 with the edge of the opening 82 will be sufficiently tight toexclude air temporarily from the inside of the can and it is desirableto previously provide the rim of the cap 83 or edge of the opening 82with a coating of solder which may be electrically heated to completethe sealing of the can after the latter leaves the filling machine.

While I have shown and describedin considerable detail the constructionof themachine in its preferred form, and the operation thereof, it isapparent that the same may be modified in many respects Withoutdeparting materially from the scope of the invention as defined in theclaims. It is also to be understood that the term cap is herein .used todenote any type of closure which may be used for capping or sealing acontainer of any kind and that the capper 30 represents any elementwhich may be used for applying such a cap.

What I claim is:

1. In a machine'for filling a container with fluid, the combination witha hood, of means for efiec'ting a temporary sealing engagement betweenthe top of the container and the hood, means 'for then admitting asterilizing medium under pressure to the hood and container for. apredetermined period of time, means for allowing air to escape from saidcontainer during the first part only of said period, means forsubsequently removing and condensing the sterilizing medium to create apartial vacuum in the container and hood, and means for then admittingfluid to said vacuum.

2. In aunachine for filling a container with fluid, the combination witha hood, of a capping element within the hood, means for. actuating saidcapping element to pick up a cap, means for subsequently effecting atemporary sealing engagement between the top of the empty container andthe hood, means for sterilizing and creating a partial vacuum within theempty container and hood while so engaged, means for subsequentlyadmitting sterilized fluid to be preserved to said vacuum, and means forthen actuating the capping element to cap said container before itisreleased from the hood.

3. In a machine for filling a container with fluid, the combination witha hood, of a capping element within the hood, means for acpickup a cap,means for subsequently eflectmg a temporary sealing engagement betweenthe top of the container and the hood, means for filling the containerand hood with a stenilizing medium under pressure while so engaged,means for subsequentlyremoving'and condensing the sterilizing medium tocreate a partial vacuum in the container, means for thenfilling thecontainer with fluid, and

' and while the cap and the interior of mined period of time while it isso engaged,

means for allowing air to escape from said container and hood during thefirst part only of said period, means for subsequently removing andcondensing the sterilizing medium to create. a -partial vacuum in thecontainer and hood, means for then filling the container with fluidwhile the cap and the interior of the container are still sterilized andunder a partial vacuum, and means for then actuating the capping elementto cap said container before it is released from the hood.

5. In a machine for filling a container with fluid, the combination witha hood, of means for supporting a cap Within the hood, means foractuating the cap supporting means to pick up a cap, means forsubsequently effecting a temporary sealing engagement between the rim ofthe hood and the wall of the container about its filler opening, meansfor-admitting a sterilizing medium under pressure to the hood andcontainer for a predetermined period of time during such fillingengagement, means for allowing air to escape from said container andhood during the first part only of said period, means for subsequentlyremoving and condensing the sterilizing medium to create apartialsvacuum in the container and hood, means for then filling thecontainer with fluid while the cap and the interior of the container arestill sterilized and under a partial vacuum, means for then actuatingthe cap supporting means to cap said container before it is releasedfrom the hood, and means for then admitting air to said hood andremoving the container, therefrom. v I

6. In a machine for filling a container with sterilized fluid, a hood,means for receiving a container cap within the hood,

means for temporarilyisealing .the'hood to the container with the capand mouth of the container insidethe hood, means for then sterilizingthe interior of theflhood, the cap and the interior of the container,and means for filling the container and sealing the same with the cap,while'the container is thus held the contalner are completelysterilized.

7.'In a machinefor filling a @ontainer' with'fluid to be preserved, thecombination with a hood, of'means for receiving a contamer cap withinthe hood, means for subse- :1 memos quently engaging the top of theempty container with the hood to form a tempor seal, with the interiorof the hood in free communication with the interior of the emptycontainer, means for sterilizing the empty container and hood while soen aged, means for subsequently directing steri ized fluid to bepreserved into said container, and means for capping said containerwhile such sterilization remains efiective.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name to thisspecification,

LOTHAR T. KONOPAK.

